- The Qur'an on female infanticide: "When the infant girl is buried alive, she is questioned for what crime she was killed." - Surah 81 v 8 - 9

Dowry System

- Payment in cash or gifts given to bridegroom's family along with the bride- Great financial burden on the bride's family- Distorted the sex ratio of India (940/1000)- Been prohibited under The 1961 Dowry Prohibition Act in Indian civil law

1 woman is burned due to dowry every 20 minutesIf dowry is not given:

- Abuse, insults, passing sarcastic remarks- Assault- Denial of food or starvation- Prohibiting them from going out and meeting any one- Refusing visits to their parent's home- Locking them up in a room- Bride Burning/ Acid throwing - DivorceNeela’s Story

- Neela was married at 12 years old- Her husband threw acid on her face when she was 14 - Reason: Dowry

Child marriage

- Formal marriage or informal union before the age of 18 - Related to child betrothal- Unmarried teenage pregnancy - Usually, the female is a child

- In 1929, the Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed - South Asia has the highest prevalence of child marriage in the worldAs India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru said: “If you educate a man you educate an individual; however, If you educate a woman you educate a whole family. Women empowered means mother India empowered.”Sati and Jahur

- Literally means a 'pure and virtuous woman'- Burnt herself with the dead body of her husband- Usually, it was done by force - Abolition of “Sati” through regulation of 1829

Widow Remarriage

- Hindu Widow Remarriage Act, 1856 - Vishnu Shastri Pandit founded the Widow remarriage Association in 1850 - D.K Karve, in western India, opened a home for widows in Poona- Set up a women's university in Mumbai, in 1916 Tonsure

- The custom of shaving the head of a widow

Reason : monks and ascetic shaved their heads and felt widows should do the same

WHY?

Rapidly declined in the first quarter of the 20th century From My Story: The Autobiography of a Hindu Widow

- "Who knows who was the damn author of the custom of shaving widows’ heads. It is not even mentioned in the Ramayana or Mahabharata. We do not know whether the custom existed in the Vedic period.”

Devadasi- 10th century A.D

- Untouchable Sacred Whores- A girl married to a temple - Life of sexual slavery- Outlawed in 1988- More than 10,000 Dalit women across Andhra Pradesh are forced to work as temple prostitutes

Brahmo Samaj

- Originated to remove issues like polygamy and Sati - From 1822, over 500 Brahmins of Calcutta organized themselves into a force under the guidance of social reformers like Ram Mohan Roy to fight against such issues- To report and prosecute such offensesFemale Infanticide

Killed in the wombKilled right after birthRam Mohun Roy Ram Mohun Roy (1772-1833):- Against the Sati ritual- Fought to make women's lives better- Social, religious, and educational reformer - "Maker of modern India"- Founded the Brahmo Samaj- In favor of integrating the western culture with features of his own culture’s traditions- Modernize the education system therefore, women were also allowed in- Appealed before the British Parliament to ensure the ban on sati- Sati Abolition Act was passed in 1829 Jyotiba Phule: 1827- 1890Jyotiba Phule

- One of the pioneers of women's education in India- One of the first to initiate widow remarriage- Against gender inequalityIshwar Chandra Vidyasagar- Played a great role in the uplift of the status of women in India- Transform orthodox Hindu society from WITHIN- Widow remarriage act in India, in 1856Behramji Merwanji Malabari (1853-1912)- In 1884, published notes that highlight issues like infant marriage and enforced widowhood- Demands legislature to prevent them- Blamed the priestly class for misinterpretation of the scripture and superstitions - Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885 and the Age of Consent Act in 1891 Pandita Ramabai: 1858-1922- Educated by her father- Made the purpose and dedicated her entire life to help women in need- Founder of Arya Mahila Samaj- Raised awareness and funds in America to aid womenin India- Sharda Sadan and Krupa Sadan- Mukti mission